updated 09:30 pm EDT, Tue October 16, 2012

Three major components soldered to motherboard; screen easy repair

Technology do-it-yourself repair part suppliers iFixit have completely disassembled the new seventh-generation iPod Nano. During the teardown, iFixit found components from Broadcom, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and NXP Semiconductors. The company has given the Nano a 5 out of a possible 10 for difficulty to repair, criticizing the glue holding the battery in place, and the connectors soldered to the motherboard.

The new Nano was found to have the LCD and touch digitizer as discrete, non-fused components, allowing for individual replacement. The battery, Lightning cable socket, and volume rocker are all soldered directly to the motherboard, making those components more difficult to replace by the end-users not comfortable with breaking and making small solder joints.